Caribbean ports bar Pullmantur ship, citing swine flu fears

Pullmantur Cruises' Ocean Dream cruise ship was barred from two Caribbean ports this week because of fears of the H1N1 virus among crew members.

The cruise ship, carrying 759 passengers and 400 crew members, was denied permission to dock Monday in Grenada and Tuesday in Barbados after cruise officials informed authorities on both islands of the possibilities of swine flu among the crew.

Edwin Frank of the Grenada Board of Tourism confirmed that the ship, which visits the island on a weekly basis, was refused entry on Monday.

Barbados authorities made the same decision, following a two-hour meeting with tourism and health officials.

Pullmantur later confirmed that three crew members had tested positive for swine flu and 11 others had been isolated with flu symptoms. No passengers have been affected.

Grenada and Barbados became the third and fourth countries in the eastern Caribbean to refuse entry to a cruise liner due to the virus. Last week Antigua and St. Lucia turned away Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas because two crew members and a passenger exhibited flu-like symptoms.

The Ocean Dream had departed Aruba on June 12 and is due back in Aruba on Friday morning. Its next scheduled departure is Friday evening.